Love For Granted
by Teliko. x3
Summary: How can you feel so much love for someone you've only been knowing for a few minutes? In this case, she had to ask herself that question twice. [GRILLOWS]
1. Chapter 1

**Love For Granted**

**Rating: I haven't decided yet.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Summary: How can you feel so much love for someone you've only been knowing for a few minutes? In this case, she had to ask herself that question twice.**

**A/N: Yeah. _Another_ Grillows story. Holy cow. I'm going to burn myself out one day, but I don't care. LOL. This story goes perfectly with the song Love For Granted by Phoenix, so I used it as the title. AND I've got another idea sent to me by a wonderful Grillows shipper I still start working on in a few days. Sorry for any grammar mistakes. This story has a point, I promise you! LOL**

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She leaned her head back against the pillow, listening to the cries of her daughter fill the small hospital room. How could she feel so much love for someone she's only been knowing for a few minutes? Soon enough, her little bundle of joy was snuggled in arms. She didn't even realize she was crying until a tear fell onto her daughter's soft, pink cheek. 

A small pair of crystal blue eyes were staring back at her now.

Catherine smiled.

She had never imagined herself a mother. She had even cried when she found out she was pregnant, afraid of making the same mistakes her own mother made. As the months passed, she grew more confident. She quit her job at the strip club once she was in the fourth month.

And now here she was; alone in the hospital with her daughter in her arms.

But she couldn't remember for the life of her how she had gotten to the hospital. She had no time to think though, as a nurse came in with papers and a smile.

"Have you thought about what you're going to name the little angel?"

"Lindsey," she whispered.

"Well... here are the papers." She set them down on Catherine's lap with a pen. "And ugh... you have a visitor," she added before walking out of the room.

Catherine's eyes flew to the door, wondering if it were Eddie or...

"Gil?"

"Hey..." He moved closer to her hesitantly. Both of them concentrated on the baby in her arms. "She's beautiful, Cath."

"You wanna hold her?" He grew nervous suddenly, giving her a sad frown and shaking his head. "Oh come on. Here..." She sat up in the bed, reaching for him with one arm while keeping the other safely around Lindsey. She pulled him closer and raised her baby slowly into his arms.

Lindsey whimpered, but only for a second, until she felt Gil's strong arms cuddle her close to his chest. Catherine smiled.

"You're a natural."

"She's so beautiful," he whispered, truly blessed to be holding such a small creature in his arms. He was almost afraid to cuddle her to close. "-just like her mother." He continued to rock Lindsey back and forth for a few minutes, unaware of Catherine's shy grin that had appeared on her face. She got started on signing the papers in front of her. "What's her name?"

"Lindsey," she spoke softly, not wanting to ruin the precious moment in front of her. She leaned back against her pillow, comfortable with knowing Gil had her daughter safely in his arms. She was almost afraid to trust anyone other than him. She finished off the top paper, then hesitated when it came time to state the father of her baby. She bit her lip and looked up at the sight in front of her one last time, then shook her head; knowing Gil would never agree to be the father to Lindsey, even though he damn well acted like it as of the moment.

"Where's Eddie?" She almost jumped at his sudden question. She shrugged and got back to the task on hand- it almost pained her to write that same name on the papers.

"Don't know." He looked up at her with a sleeping Lindsey in his arms. "He's not here. I know that" She put the papers on the stand next to her bed for the nurse to pick up. "He doesn't deserve to be here," she bit back tears and placed her hands in her lap. She shook the thoughts from her head and watched her stirring daughter. Lindsey's arms had broken free from the tight blanket she had been wrapped in and were now flying in the air, feeling her surroundings. Her tiny hand came to rest against Gil's chest and she instantly relaxed.

After a few minutes of just sitting there and holding her, he began to get up. He carefully handed Lindsey back to her mother and smiled down at the two of them.

"I better get going. You two need your rest," he whispered.

"No," she pleaded. "Don't go." He stopped. "Don't leave me here alone." Her voice cracked. Even Lindsey started to stir and wake, her small eyes fluttering open fully now.

"I won't," he comforted her and took a seat on the same couch he had been on moments ago. "But promise me you'll get some rest while I'm here. You need it."

As she began to nod, the nurse came back in with a smile. She picked up the papers and reached for Lindsey, explaining that they need to weigh her in and clean her off a bit more. Catherine willingly gave her daughter to the young nurse and shifted around in the bed, suddenly feeling cold now that her little bundle of joy wasn't there with her.

"She'll be back, Cath," she heard him say soothingly.

"Stay with me."

"I'm right here. I'm not leaving."

And then she fell asleep, for the first time in two days.

Gil sat there and watched over her, her constant breathing lulling him to sleep also. He yawned a few times and finally laid back against the couch, his head against the arm rest and his feet propped up against the opposite rest.

Before he closed his eyes, he turned his head and made sure Catherine was alright.

----

The faintest noises had always waken him up. He opened one eye upon hearing the door creak open. The same nurse was back with Lindsey, in new blankets and a soft pink outfit. Lindsey too seemed tired. The nurse noticed Catherine was in a deep sleep and padded towards Gil.

"Here you are. Daddy'll take care of you while mommy rests," the nurse cooed in Lindsey's little ear. Gil went to sit up, but before he could, the nurse had simply laid Lindsey on top of his chest carefully and walked out. He laid there awkwardly with baby Lindsey lying on top his chest. Her small head was sideways, facing her mother, while the rest of her small body was snuggled against his chest.

She made small noises in her sleep, the sound of Gil's heartbeat relaxing her yet again. That's when he had completely fell in love with this little girl. He realized that she fit perfectly against his chest. He caressed her back gently and placed a kiss to the top of her head before drifting off to a light sleep.

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**A/N: Right. So young Gil and Catherine in this story. I'm guessing they're in their twenties. (shrugs) I'll figure it out later. So! Catherine had Lindsey in this chapter, Eddie is no where to be found, Gil's the only one there with Cath and Linds, and what's going to happen next? I don't know. LOL. **

**Reviews would make my dayyyy. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Love For Granted**

**Rating: I haven't decided yet.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Summary: How can you feel so much love for someone you've only been knowing for a few minutes? In this case, she had to ask herself that question twice.**

**A/N: Yes! 8 reviews! (jumps up and down) Awesome! Here's the second chapter! (smiles) Ugh. So today, I totally found out I have to go to a stupid Christmas Dance for the Beta club or else I can't go to state, which is in Baton Rouge, and miss school for TWO whole days. :D But yeah. I'm sure you guys don't wanna hear about that. Anyways, here's your second chapter!**

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He walked into her room with two cups of coffee, secretly hiding one for her since the nurses had been watching what he brought her. She smiled as she continued to gently bounce Lindsey in her arms.

"I snuck you some coffee," he whispered playfully, looking around for any nurses. She giggled. "Let me take her for a little bit," he placed his coffee down on the table next to her bed and gave Catherine a well deserved break, handing her the cup of hot coffee.

"Thank you, Gil," she muttered as she took a long sip from her cup. She looked up through her eyelashes and watched as Gil walked over to the window with a very awake Lindsey. He held her up to the glass and pointed out into the city, sweet talking her into looking at the lights of the casinos and hotels. "Good news." He walked back over to her bedside.

"Really?"

"We get to leave tomorrow morning," she announced with a huge smile.

"I bet you can't wait to get home." She gave him a look and sat up in her bed, throwing her empty cup into the trashcan.

"Yeah... back to an empty home. I can't wait," she whispered. He frowned and looked down at her, so helpless and fragile looking in her hospital gown.

The next day, while Catherine and Lindsey got ready to leave, Gil pulled his car in front of the hospital entrance. He looked into the back and saw Lindsey's tiny car-seat waiting for her. Suddenly, the events from a few nights before had ran through his mind again.

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"Come on Catherine... pick up," Gil muttered into the phone as he paced his living room back and forth, his keys already in his hand. When he had come home from the lab, he noticed he had two messages on his answering machine, both of them from Catherine- but she didn't say anything in either one.

He tried to call again after a few minutes and decided that if she didn't pick the phone up this time, he'd drive over to her house and check on her. After all, she was only nine months pregnant and home alone most of the time. After her answering machine picked up for the third time in a row, he threw the phone down and raced out of his door.

He made it to her house in record time, jumping out of his car and running up to her door. He knocked a few times and waited for a moment, but once he heard her moan, he ran through the door. She was bent over at the waist, holding her stomach and supporting herself with her hand on the kitchen chair. The tears fell from her eyes from the pain she was in and gasped when she saw he came.

"Gil..." He wasted no time and gently grabbed her arm, helping her walk out to his car. "-clothes. I need clothes," she breathed out as she slowly sat in the front seat, closing her eyes tight and gripping the door handle of the car. He ran back into the house and into her bedroom, looking around for her suitcase. He packed her some clothes as fast as he could, throwing random pieces into the bag and zipping it up. On his way out, he spotted the newly purchased car-seat and brought that along with him, knowing they'd probably need it.

He put the suitcase and car-seat in the back of his car and they were headed towards the hospital. Just as they were pulling into the emergency room parking lot, he looked at her to announce they were there and found her leaning against the window- eyes closed.

"Cath, come on sweetheart. Wake up. We're here."

Unable to wake her, he lifted her out of the car and carried her into the hospital, receiving strange looks from the families in the waiting room. He was thankful for a group of nurses who had came running to help him with Catherine.

"What's her name, sir?"

"Catherine. Catherine Willows."

"Are you the husband?"

"I- no."

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside." He stopped walking with them and watched silently as they rolled her away, hooking IVs in her arm and prepping her for delivery.

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He quickly walked back to Catherine's hospital room, knowing she was probably worried about Lindsey's car-seat. Sure enough, Catherine was pacing the room with Lindsey in her arms.

"Cath-"

"I don't have her car-seat."

"I-"

"How are we going to get her home!?" He walked up to her and gently grabbed her arm.

"I have everything in my car." She stopped, giving him a questioning look.

"But how?"

"You don't... remember?" She slowly shook her head, the nurse silently leaving the room for the couple to talk in private. "I'm the one who brought you here. I missed your call and I got worried so I went to check on you. Cath, you were practically in labor in the middle of your kitchen. So I drove you here and you passed out on me, so I carried you inside." She blinked, amazed at his story. Truly touched that he would go through so much trouble for her, coming to a conclusion that he was more of a husband than Eddie could ever try and be.

"You carried me?" He nodded. "God, I wasn't heavy was I?"

"Cath, a butterfly weighs more than you do."

----

"Are you sure you'll be okay here?" She got out of the car, as did he, and both started to get her things from the back of his car. Gil carried her suitcase while Catherine carried the car-seat. She noticed the door was unlocked and silently pushing the door open. Her jaw dropped when the door swung back, revealing the living room... or what was left of it.

All the furniture had been kicked down, glass everywhere on the carpet, picture frames busted against the wall with the pictures halfway hanging out, the busted TV, flowers that were once in a vase sprawled on the floor- beneath a dark stain from the pool of water, the blinds had been smashed and the windows were scratched.

She looked back at Gil, his expression matching hers, as both of them slowly walked into the house. The kitchen was even worse. Catherine headed upstairs as Gil surveyed the damage in the kitchen. The only untouched item in her bedroom was her bed. She rested a sleeping Lindsey on top of it and walked around her torn apart room, tears filling the rims of her eyes. She had worked so hard to make this her home and now everything was ruined.

Her dresser drawers had been flung against the wall, damaging the wall and leaving huge dents or holes. Her vanity mirror had been smashed into a million pieces, her make up lay along the floor with the pieces of glass. The closet had been emptied, all of her clothes had been torn or ripped from their hangers and tossed into a pile on the floor.

Something shiny caught her eye as she continued to stand there, frozen in her spot. She turned slowly, seeing her jewelry box broken on the floor, her necklaces and bracelets either broken or close to it. She bit her lip as it began to tremble upon seeing the necklace Gil had given her for Christmas last year- broken. The clasp had been ripped from the delicate chain. She held it up in front of her face and quickly straightened up as she heard the floorboards creak behind her.

She came face to face with him, a frown on his face. He looked down at the necklace she held in her hands and noticed the tears that were slowly sliding down her cheeks. He reached for her and pulled her trembling body against his, whispering words of love and comfort into her ear as she clinged to him tighter. She needed to feel his arms around her, assuring her that everything was going to be okay when in reality, she knew they weren't.

His hand slipped into her hair, cuddling her head to his chest as he felt her tears soak through his shirt. He rested his chin atop her head and rocked her back and forth.

"You can't stay here tonight," he whispered after she had calmed down a little. "You're staying with me," he firmly told her, refusing to let her stay alone in this house tonight. All she could do was nod her head against his chest and take deep breaths.

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**A/N: (sorry for any grammar mistakes) LOL. I totally feel as crappy as Catherine does in this story right now. (blinks) Today has been one of the worst days of my entire life, but I shall not let it get to me. Reviews would make me feel better.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Love For Granted**

**Rating: I haven't decided yet.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Summary: How can you feel so much love for someone you've only been knowing for a few minutes? In this case, she had to ask herself that question twice.**

**A/N: Here's the third chapter! Sorry for such a long wait. The holidays have been HECTIC but totally worth it. It's my birthday finally!! December 28th! I'm 16 now! YAY! Sorry for any grammar mistakes. I'm trying to update every story I need to tonight... lol or this morning. Yeah. It's like, 1:35 am here XD**

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He unlocked his townhouse, leading Catherine in before locking the door behind him. Over Catherine's shoulder was a bag full of blankets, clothes, ready made bottles, and diapers. Gil had brought Lindsey's carseat up too. They decided that's what Lindsey would sleep in until they either got a crib for Gil's place or until they went back home. They were surrounded by the darkness. Lindsey started to whimper in her mother's arms. 

"Shh. It's okay sweetie."

He could see her struggling with Lindsey and the bags so he quickly moved over and took them from her. She sighed in relief and smiled up at him in the dark.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'll go put this in my room." She nodded and began to bounce Lindsey gently, pacing around the living room. She came to stand in front of the window and stared out into the city, zoning out on the flashing neon lights and signs. He walked out from his bedroom and found her staring out from the window. He turned on one of his lamps to give them some light and she turned around.

She walked up to him and smiled before carefully placing Lindsey in his arms. She kissed the top of her daughter's head and stroked her cheek with a finger.

"Is it.. ugh okay if I take a quick shower or something?" He nodded instantly, keeping his eyes on the little angel in his arms.

"You're more than welcome." She nodded to herself and left Gil alone in the living room, trusting him completely with her new born daughter. Lindsey yawned in his arms, her small hands opening and closing randomly as he sat with her on the couch. She drifted off to sleep soon after in his warm arms.

Half an hour later, Catherine came padding out of his hallway in a pair of his saggy pajama pants and one of his black shirts. She had her slippers on her feet that she had packed with her. She sat down carefully next to Gil and looked over his shoulder to watch her daughter sleep.

"She's so beautiful," he whispered. Catherine smiled, truly touched as how protective Gil was being over them. She rested her chin on his shoulder, her cheek close to his, and both of them watched her sleep. He looked sideways at her and his eyes fell to her lips. "You should get some sleep too." She looked at him, her chin still resting on his shoulder lightly. Their lips were so close, but neither one of them did anything about it.

"Yeah," she whispered back. Slowly, she pulled herself away from his side and stood up from the couch. He followed her slowly and rested Lindsey in the middle of his bed. Catherine grabbed every pillow on his bed and boxed Lindsey in, not wanting her to suffocate or fall out. She laid next to Lindsey and Gil turned to leave the room. "Gil?" He stopped and turned, his arms next to his sides. She wanted so badly for him to join her in the bed, but she knew he never would. "Thank you," she finally managed to get out.

"You're welcome."

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Catherine's eyes fluttered open as the sunlight poured in from Gil's bedroom window. It was the first night in months she had gotten her full six hours of sleep. She rolled over and rested on her side, coming to face her very awake daughter who was content with staring at the ceiling above her. Her wide eyes were filled with curiosity and wonder. Catherine smiled and ran the back of her finger gently down Lindsey's cheek.

"Hey baby girl," she cooed. "Watcha' doing?"

She found it hard to believe she could love someone this much- someone she had only been knowing for a few days.

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek, then playfully rubbed their noses together. She pulled back when she heard Lindsey start to whimper and sigh. Confusion struck her, but she suddenly realized she hadn't fed Lindsey since yesterday nor changed her diaper. Slowly, she picked Lindsey up and crawled out of bed. They were greeted in the kitchen by Gil, who had his back turned toward them as he fixed himself a glass of water.

"Morning," she said out loud, making him jump and spill water from the glass. He turned, forgetting the absence of his shirt, and saw Catherine with messy bed hair and a small baby wanting nothing more than a clean diaper and milk.

"Good morning." He ran his eyes over her bright face, wondering why she was so distant all of a sudden. He noticed her eyes were fixed on him and followed her gaze. The water he had spilled was now trailing down his bare, toned chest. He could feel his cheeks grow hot for being caught without his shirt.

"She slept through the night. Can you believe it," she asked as she walked up to his fridge, trying to ignore the fact that her best friend was standing only a few feet away from her- shirtless. She got one of the bottles she had placed in the fridge last night and set it on the counter, not trusting herself to handle both a microwave and her daughter at the same time. She kept her eyes on Lindsey's face as she walked closer to Gil, silently asking him to take over for her.

He carefully took the small baby in his arms and cuddled her against his chest. He watched Catherine take the nipple off the bottle and as she stuck it in the microwave to heat up. Seconds later, she was twisting the top back onto the bottle and testing the milk with her arm, shaking the bottle until she felt how warm the liquid was. She had already fed Lindsey at the hospital, the experience amazing her more than anything.

"You wanna feed her?" She shyly handed him the bottle and smiled.

"I... I've never done this before," he confessed. "All of this is new to me, Cath. I'm really not good with kids."

"Sure you are! Linds loves you!" She shoved the bottle in his hand and licked her lips. "You're a natural. And besides... I'm new to this too. I haven't exactly given birth to a human until a few days ago, incase you forgot."

A small smile tugged at the corner's of his mouth as he guided the tip of the bottle near Lindsey's lips. She instantly took to it, gently sucking at her breakfast as Gil watched in wonder. Catherine rested her hands on her hips and stood dangerously close to him. She could feel the heat from his chest radiate onto her own skin and felt the urge to shiver. Minutes later, the bottle was empty and Lindsey was full. Her whimpering continued though, Gil's face dropping as he began to think he did something wrong. He panicked and looked up at Catherine who had a small smile on her face, obviously amused at his panicking.

"She needs to be changed," she informed him, his fear subsiding a little. "You wanna change her too?"

"Cath," he warned. "I think you better handle that." She nodded and took Lindsey back into her arms.

"At least help me. I don't know what I'm doing here," she called out as she walked back into his bedroom. He followed her and grabbed the diapers and wipes from the bag.

"And you think I do?" She giggled and pulled at his arm when he was close enough to her. She bit her bottom lip in confusion and undid the buttons on Lindsey's outfit. "How... are we going to do this?"

"Um... get the new diaper open and ready. Open the pack of wipes too." He did as she instructed, scrunching his face when he got a smell of Lindsey's dirty diaper. Catherine gagged and leaned back, laughing and trying to take in a fresh breath of air. "Hand me a wipe. Hurry!" He shoved a wipe in her hand and pinched his nose as she began cleaning her daughter. Finally, the dirty diaper and wipe were balled up. "Go ahead and put the diaper on her," Catherine told him as she winked and moved towards the kitchen to dispose of the diaper.

Gil grabbed the clean diaper and stared down at the small baby on his bed, wondering how he was going to do this. He gently grabbed at Lindsey's feet, her soft giggling filling the room.

_'She must be ticklish.'_

She kicked her tiny legs as he slightly pulled her bottom from the bed to place the diaper underneath her.

_'That was easy.'_

With Lindsey's kicking and giggling, he could barely strap the sticky tabs onto the front of the diaper. Catherine came back with washed and sanitized hands and laughed as she watched Gil struggle to stick the two pieces together.

"Having trouble?"

"Just... a bit," he grunted softly and finally managed to stick the tabs on, both in awkward places on the diaper.

She continued to watch with a smile, wondering if things would stay this good forever. She wanted things to be this easy. She wanted her daughter to grow up with a happy family, with a good education, with good friends, in a good neighborhood. But afterall, they were in Las Vegas- and all of those things were hard to come by. But watching Gil and Lindsey, she knew she had made a mistake. She loved Eddie. If it weren't for Eddie, Lindsey wouldn't be here, but she couldn't help but feel that she had made a mistake by marrying him. She would always love him for giving her the most precious gift ever, but that was the only reason. He no longer treated her like the wife and lover she deserved to be treated as.

But Gil did. Even if he didn't realize he was.

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**A/N: Yeah. So I got a NEW computer for Christmas! A Gateway something, but it was freakin WINDOWS VISTA! Oh my goodness, it's so badass. LOL. Anyways, reviews would make a wonderful birthday present!! **


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